1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video cameras for input of image information to information equipment such as a computer. In particular, the invention relates to attachment and an installation structure of a video camera suitable for use with information equipment which employs a liquid crystal display or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventional video cameras which are used in the video conference system and the video telephone system are intended to be used with a personal computer of the desktop type. Most of them are thus placed for use on the thick upper surface portion of the CRT display. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-233948 discloses a video camera which is secured to a liquid crystal display of small thickness which drastically increases in number and a video camera which is placed on a flat portion for use.
According to a method proposed in this publication disclosing a television camera, a stand is rotated and raised, then a clamp is drawn to the thickness of a flat display, and the edge of the flat display is accordingly held between the clamp portion and a main body case using biasing force of a spring so as to fix the camera. When the television camera is to be placed on a flat portion, the stand is rotated and raised, and then the stand and the bottom of the main body case are made into contact with the flat portion so as to stand the camera.
The method disclosed in the above publication of holding the television camera on the flat display is complicated due to a number of operating procedures as described above. When the camera is placed on a flat portion, the direction in which the stand moves is different from that when the camera is held as above, leading to difficulty in intuitive understanding of the operating procedure.
One object of the present invention is to provide a video camera having an increased freedom concerning the location at which the camera is installed, being compact and presenting a good appearance. The increased freedom is accomplished by enabling with a simple operation attachment of the video camera to edges of flat displays of different thicknesses, holding of the video camera along the front edge of the upper surface of a CRT display, and placement of the video camera on a flat surface such as a desk.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the invention, a video camera includes a main body case having therein a camera portion imaging an object and a camera control portion performing image signal processing and control relative to the camera portion, a holding portion rotatably holding the main body case, and a stand portion rotatably holding the holding portion. The video camera further includes an abutment piece which is perpendicularly placed on anterior side of a bottom of the stand portion and abuts on an attachment body to which the video camera is attached, a lever portion which is rotatably placed on posterior side of the bottom of the stand portion, and bias means for biasing the lever portion toward the bottom of the stand portion. The lever portion includes a lever main body with its one end pivotally supported by the stand portion and an abutment portion located at the other end of the lever main body and formed to abut on the attachment body. The lever portion holds the attachment body between the abutment portion and the abutment piece when the lever portion is used and the lever portion is housed and pressurized to abut on the stand portion when it is not used.
The video camera which employs this structure can be attached easily to various attachment bodies such as flat display that are different in thickness just by pulling out the lever portion. Further, the lever portion is compactly housed in the stand portion just by detaching the lever from the attachment body. With the lever portion housed therein, the video camera can be placed on a CRT display or a flat surface.
Preferably, an edge portion of the stand portion is perpendicularly placed downward to form a vertical wall, and the lever potion is housed in the vertical wall when it is not used. Since the lever portion is hidden by the vertical wall and thus invisible, this structure thus employed gives a better appearance to the video camera and enhances the strength of the stand portion.
Preferably, the abutment portion has a flat abutment surface which abuts on the attachment body and the abutment portion is rotatably supported at a leading end of the lever main body such that the flat abutment surface is in surface contact with the attachment body when the lever portion is used. The structure thus employed increases the area which pinches the attachment body to stabilize fixing of the video camera.
Still preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to a surface of the abutment piece that abuts on and holds the attachment body and/or to the abutment surface of the abutment portion that holds the attachment body. The structure thus employed prevents the video camera from slipping off and thus the video camera is surely fixed when the attachment body is pinched by the video camera between its components.
Preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to a bottom surface of the lever portion when the lever portion is not used and housed. The structure thus employed prevents the video camera placed on the upper surface of a CRT display from slipping or falling off.
Preferably, the abutment piece is integrated with and extends from the vertical wall of the stand portion. The structure thus employed simplifies the structure of the video camera and accordingly presents an excellent outer design.
Preferably, when the lever portion is not used, a tab which is integrally formed with the abutment portion faces a hole placed at the lever portion. The structure thus employed allows the tab to be raised easily with a finger (fingers) when the video camera is attached or detached, improving ease of operation.
Still preferably, the abutment portion and the tab are integrally formed of resin and the tab is flexible relative to the abutment portion. In the structure thus employed, the tab can easily be caught with a finger (fingers) and accordingly the abutment portion can be raised easily since the tab is flexible relative to the abutment portion and thus bowed just by lightly catching with the finger(s). In addition, the shape of components can be simplified and assembly thereof becomes easier.
According to another aspect of the invention, a video camera includes a main body case having therein a camera portion imaging an object and a camera control portion performing image signal processing and control relative to the camera portion, a holding portion rotatably holding the main body case, and a stand portion rotatably holding the holding portion. The video camera further includes an edge portion perpendicularly placed downward to form a vertical wall on anterior side of the stand portion, a sliding member freely moving back and forth in the stand portion, a guide which is placed behind and opposite to the sliding member and freely moves back and forth in the stand portion, an elastic member biasing in a direction to separate the sliding member and the guide from each other, a button portion provided to the guide for operating the guide, and an engaging portion with concave and convex parts which engage with each other at a sliding surface at which the button portion or the guide is opposite to the stand portion. The button portion is operated to hold an attachment body to which the video camera is attached between the edge portion and the sliding member.
The video camera which employs this structure can be attached easily to various attachment bodies such as flat display that are different in thickness just by pulling out the lever portion. Further, the lever portion is compactly housed in the stand portion just by detaching the lever from the attachment body. With the lever portion housed therein, the video camera can be placed on a CRT display or a flat surface.
Preferably, the video camera includes a stopper provided to the sliding member for restricting movement such that interval between the sliding member and the guide does not exceed a predetermined distance. The structure thus employed limits the interval between the sliding member and the guide within a predetermined distance, so that the elastic member can be used only within a range of its natural length and accordingly its elastic force can effectively be utilized.
Preferably, the sliding member includes a lever portion rotatably attached on its anterior side, the attachment body is held between the edge portion and the lever portion, and the lever portion is housed in the stand portion when the lever portion is not used.
The structure thus employed enables the video camera to be attached easily to various attachment bodies such as flat display that are different in thickness. When the video camera is detached, the lever portion is compactly housed in the stand portion and the video camera can be placed on a CRT display or a flat surface with the lever portion housed therein.
Preferably, the sliding member includes a slide shaft formed on its posterior side in parallel with direction in which the sliding member slides. This structure thus employed ensures constant posture of the sliding portion when it slides.
Preferably, the button portion includes a button provided to the guide such that the button protrudes upward and passes through an opening formed at an upper surface of the stand portion to allow the guide to be operated from above the stand portion to move. This structure thus employed enables the guide to be operated easily from above the stand portion.
Preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to a surface of the edge portion that abuts on and holds the attachment body and/or to a surface of the lever portion that abuts on and holds the attachment body. This structure thus employed can prevent the video camera from slipping off when the camera holds the attachment body and accordingly the camera can surely be fixed.
Preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to a bottom surface of the lever portion when the lever portion is not used and housed. The structure thus employed can prevent the video camera placed on the upper surface of a CRT display from slipping or dropping off.
Preferably, the guide portion and the button portion are integrally formed of resin and made flexible by providing a groove extending side to side at a resin portion ahead of the engaging portion with concave and convex parts provided to the button portion. In the structure thus employed, the engagement of the engaging portion can be released by pushing down the button portion since the button portion is flexible relative to the guide portion, and the forward and backward movement of the button and guide portions becomes easier.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a video camera includes a main body case having therein a camera portion imaging an object and a camera control portion performing image signal processing and control relative to the camera portion, a holding portion rotatably holding the main body case, and a stand portion rotatably holding the holding portion. The video camera further includes an edge portion perpendicularly placed downward to form a vertical wall on anterior side of the stand portion, a bottom cover covering an opening at bottom of the stand portion, and a pair of leg members located in a space formed by the stand portion and the bottom cover, one end of each of the leg members having a gear and the other end having a pinching section for pinching an attachment body to which the video camera is attached. The pair of leg members is pivotally supported such that the leg members can rotate oppositely in horizontal direction and the gears engage with each other on posterior side of the stand portion. An elastic member is provided which biases in a direction to cause pinching sections of the pair of leg members on anterior side of the stand portion to approach each other. The attachment body is held between the edge portion and the pair of leg members when the leg members are used, and the leg members are housed in the stand portion when the leg members are not used.
The video camera which employs this structure can be attached easily to various attachment bodies such as flat display that are different in thickness just by pulling out the leg member. Further, the lever portion is compactly housed in the stand portion just by detaching the leg members from the attachment body. With the lever portion housed therein, the video camera can be placed on a CRT display or a flat surface.
Preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to a surface of the edge portion which abuts on and holds the attachment body and/or to a surface of the leg members which abut on and hold the attachment body. The structure thus employed can prevent the video camera holding the attachment body from slipping off and the video camera can surely be fixed accordingly.
Preferably, an antiskid piece is provided to bottom surfaces of the leg members when the leg members are not used and housed. The structure thus employed can prevent the video camera placed on the upper surface of a CRT display from slipping or dropping off.